Continuous cooking oven system

ABSTRACT

A continuous cooking oven system including enclosure containing a first cooking chamber in communication with a second cooking chamber to efficiently and effectively cook and brown food products. The continuous cooking oven system includes an first conveyor for transporting food products through a helical path within the first cooking chamber, a fan for circulating a heated gaseous cooking medium throughout the first cooking chamber, a second conveyor for transporting food products through a linear path within the second cooking chamber, at least one impingement air flow distribution chamber disposed above the second conveyor within the second cooking chamber and at least one impingement air flow distribution chamber disposed below the second conveyor within the second cooking chamber, the impingement air flow distribution chambers circulating a heated gaseous cooking medium throughout the second cooking chamber. The first conveyor includes a self-supporting pervious belt including a plurality of superimposed tiers which define a pervious annulus through which the heat gaseous cooking medium is circulated.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application60/750,414 filed on 14 Dec. 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a continuous cooking oven system forefficiently cooking and browning food products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Spiral ovens for cooking food products include a cooking surface in theform of pervious conveyor belt for conveying the food products through acooking chamber in a helical path. A heat source, such as steam,conventional convection and/or forced convection, is provided within thecooking chamber for cooking the food products. Spiral cooking ovensgenerally have a small footprint while providing a relatively longprocessing path. However, airflow in such spiral cooking ovens are oftenimpeded and do not directly impact the food products within the cookingchamber. As a result, the food products are subjected to longer cookingcycles which reduces product throughput. Additionally, airflow in spiralcooking ovens is typically unidirectional which limits the ability tobrown food products efficiently and often results in browning onlyoccurring on one side of the product. For some food products, browningon a single surface of the food product is acceptable. However, for manyfood products such as, for example, meat, poultry and bakery products,browning on both sides of the product is desirable.

Continuous cooking ovens include a cooking surface in the form of apervious conveyor belt for conveying products through a cooking chamberin a linear path. A heat source, such as steam, conventional convectionand/or forced convection, is provided within the cooking chamber forcooking the food products. Linear continuous cooking ovens generallyprovide an environment which promotes uniform color and texturedevelopment across the conveyor belt. However, the length and efficiencyof linear cooking ovens is limited by space considerations within theproduction facility.

There is a need or desire for a continuous cooking oven system thatefficiently cooks and browns food.

There is a further need or desire for a continuous cooking oven systemthat occupies less space within a production facility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In response to the discussed difficulties and problems encountered inthe prior art, a continuous cooking oven system for efficiently cookingand browning food products has been discovered.

A continuous cooking oven system according to the invention includes anenclosure including a first cooking chamber in communication with asecond cooking chamber. Each cooking chamber contains a heated gaseouscooking medium. A first continuous conveyor transports food productsthrough a helical path within the first cooking chamber. The firstcontinuous conveyor includes a self-supporting pervious belt including aplurality of superimposed tiers which define a pervious annulus throughwhich the heated gaseous cooking medium may be circulated in acontinuous manner by a fan. A second conveyor transports the foodproducts through a linear path within the second cooking chamber. Atleast one impingement air flow distribution chamber is disposed abovethe second conveyor within the second cooking chamber and at least oneimpingement air flow distribution chamber is disposed below the secondconveyor within the second cooking chamber. Each impingement air flowdistribution chamber may include at least one independently controlledrecirculation fan. The second cooking chamber may be in communicationwith the first cooking chamber via the inlet opening or the outletopening of the first cooking chamber.

In another embodiment of the invention, an inlet opening of the secondcooking chamber of the continuous cooking oven system is incommunication with an outlet opening of the first cooking chamber andthe second conveyor defines a downwardly extending linear path from theinlet opening of the second cooking chamber to an outlet opening of thesecond cooking chamber.

In an additional embodiment of the invention, the continuous cookingoven system may further include a thermal fluid heat exchangerpositioned in fluid communication with second cooking chamber. A thermalfluid is circulated within the heat exchanger and the heat exchangeroperates at a temperature of about 450° F. (about 230° C.) to about 750°F. (400° C).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of a continuous cooking oven systemaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a continuous cooking oven systemaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of a first cooking chamber of acontinuous cooking oven system according to one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a second cooking chamber of a continuouscooking oven system according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the continuous cooking oven system 10 includes anenclosure 12 which includes a first cooking chamber 14 in communicationwith a second cooking chamber 16. Each of the first and second cookingchambers 14, 16 contain a heated gaseous cooking medium such as steam,heated air or both. The first cooking chamber 14 includes an inletopening 18 and an outlet opening 20 and second cooking chamber 16includes an inlet opening 22 and an outlet opening 24. The openings 18,20, 22 and 24 are suitably made as small as feasible to retard theegress of heated gaseous cooking medium from the cooking chambers 14,16.

In FIG. 1, the first and second cooking chambers 14, 16 share a commonwall 26 such that inlet outlet opening 20 of the first cooking chamber14 and inlet opening 22 of the second cooking chamber 16 are a commonopening. In another embodiment (not shown), the first cooking chamber 14may be spaced apart from the second cooking chamber by a space or a gapsuch that each chamber has it own side wall. Suitably, the continuouscooking oven system 10 includes a common wall 26 between the firstcooking chamber 14 and the second cooking chamber 16 to minimize productcooling which may occur when a defined space or gap is positionedbetween the first and second cooking chamber.

In FIG. 1, the inlet opening 22 of the second cooking chamber 16 is incommunication with the outlet opening 20 of the first cooking chamber.In another embodiment (not shown), the outlet opening 24 of the secondcooking chamber may be in communication with the inlet opening 18 of thefirst cooking chamber 14.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a first conveyor 28 is directed into thefirst cooking chamber 14 through inlet opening 18 and is designed tocarry a large volume of food products to be cooked in the continuouscooking oven system 10. The first conveyor 28 is adapted to follow,through at least a portion of its length, a spiral or helical paththrough the first cooking chamber 14. Suitably, the first conveyorfollows an upwardly extending helical path through the first cookingchamber 14.

Suitably, the first conveyor 28 includes a pervious, continuous conveyorbelt 30 including a plurality of superimposed, helically extending tiersforming a belt pile 32 and defining a pervious annulus 34 therethrough.The continuous conveyor belt 30 is designed to fully support foodproducts on at least one surface but is formed to allow a heated gaseouscooking medium to readily flow through the belt without being inhibitedby the belt structure. In general, conveyor belt 30 may include aplurality of mutually articulated and interadjustable links forming thetwo sides of the belt, including a bottom supporting portion interposedbetween the links. The bottom supporting portions may be made of wire orother surface forming material to provide a supporting plane for thebelt. The links are designed as spacers that are arranged to support orbe supported by an immediately overlying or underlying tier of theconveyor belt. In this way the first conveyor 28 is self-supporting andno separate belt support is needed between the tiers of the spiralconveying system. Thus, the entire space making up the helicalconveyance path within the first cooking chamber 14 is open to the flowof a heated gaseous cooking medium therethrough.

The first cooking chamber 14 is separated into a high pressure region 36and low pressure region 38 by a mezzanine floor 40 disposed within thefirst cooking chamber 14. The inlet opening 18 may be disposed in thelow pressure region 38 and the outlet opening 20 may be disposed in thehigh pressure region 36. An exhaust stack 48 may be disposed adjacentthe inlet opening 18 of the first cooking chamber 14 to regulate theegress and ingress of air and to equalize pressure at the inlet opening18.

The interior of the first cooking chamber 14 may be regularly orfrequently cleaned to maintain the sanitary conditions required for foodprocessing equipment. Suitably, as shown in FIG. 2, an in-place cleaningsystem 42 may be disposed within the first cooking chamber 14. Thecleaning system may include a plurality of spray nozzles or balls 44disposed at various locations and coupled to a supply pipe 46. Suitably,the supply pipes 46 are coupled to a source of cleaning fluid (notshown). Suitably, the cleaning fluid is supplied to the spray nozzles 44under pressure to effectively drive the cleaning fluid into grease orsoil found on the surfaces of the first cooking chamber 14.

A desired cooking environment is created within the first cookingchamber 14 by providing at least one source of heat such as steam, superheated steam or heated air either alone or in combination. Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the heated gaseous cooking medium may be introduced inthe low pressure region 38 of the first cooking chamber at a locationadjacent one or more recirculating fans 50. The fan(s) 50 act tocontinuously circulate the heated gaseous medium from the low pressureregion 38 to the high pressure region 36 separated by mezzanine floor40. Suitably, the one or more fans 50 are housed within the firstcooking chamber 14 such that a suction side of the fan is disposed inthe low pressure region 38 while a high pressure side of the fan 50 isdisposed in the high pressure region 36 of the first cooking chamber 14.In this way, the heated gaseous cooking medium may be circulated intothe high pressure region 36 at high velocity. The fan 50 may include aflow diverter structure (not shown) to facilitate circulation of theheated gaseous cooking medium within the first cooking chamber 14. Itshould be recognized that the desired velocity at which the cookingmedium is circulated throughout the first cooking chamber 14 may bevaried by modifying the speed of the fan 50. Suitably, the fan 50 may beoperated at a velocity of about 100 fpm (about 30 m/min) to about 1000fpm (about 305 m/min) in the first cooking chamber 14.

Suitably, the gaseous cooking medium and/or air may be circulated withinthe first cooking chamber 14 such that the cooking medium and/or air isfully directed down onto a top surface of food products, directed uponto a bottom surface of food products and/or directed onto both the topand bottom surfaces of food products as they are transported through thefirst cooking chamber 14. Advantageously, the direction of airflow orgaseous medium flow may be controlled by the user on a predefined and/oradjustable time basis. Suitably, the pattern of air or gaseous cookingmedium flow within the first cooking chamber 14 may be alternatedbetween different flow patterns at preset or adjustable rates or may beprogrammed to follow a predefined time-based sequence of flow patterns.

Suitably, the fans 50 may be controlled along with one or more internalair flow dampers (not shown) which are positioned within the firstcooking chamber 14 as means of continuously reversing the air flowwithin chamber 14 on a user defined interval. Controlling the air flowin this manner within the first cooking chamber 14 allows the heatedgaseous medium to be directed toward both the top and bottom surfaces offood products as they are transported through the chamber 14 and therebyallows a user to control the color development (i.e., browning) of thefood products.

Referring to FIG. 3, in the alternative or in combination with fan 50,steam may be supplied under pressure to the interior of the firstcooking chamber 14 via a steam supply 52. Suitably, the steam supply 52may be disposed relative to the fan 50 in the high pressure region 36.

The gaseous cooking medium in the first cooking chamber 14 may be heatedusing an indirect gas heating system, a direct gas heating system,steam, super heated steam and/or electric heating system. The provisionof various sources of heated gaseous cooking medium allows a greatamount of versatility in the operation of the continuous cooking ovensystem 10.

In one embodiment, steam may be used exclusively in the first cookingchamber 14, and slow thorough cooking of the food products may beachieved more efficiently. In a steam only environment, food productstravel through the first cooking chamber 14 for slow cooking at atemperature of about 200° F. (about 95° C.) to about 600° F. (about 315°C.) in a high humidity or steam environment. In this way the foodproducts may be thoroughly cooked while maintaining their moisturecontent.

Alternatively, a burner or other heat source may be used to achievetemperatures between about 90° F. (about 32° C.) and about 600° F.(about 315° C.) or about 200° F. (about 95° C.) to about 450° F. (about235° C.) in the first cooking chamber 14. When used in combination, thesteam supply and burner provide a high temperature cooking environmentin conjunction with a high humidity or steam environment for moreefficient cooking of food products.

Suitably, the temperature and/or humidity levels within the firstcooking chamber 14 may be selectably controlled based upon the type offood product being cooked in the continuous cooking oven system 10.

A second continuous conveyor 54 is disposed within the second cookingchamber 16 to transport food products from the inlet opening 22, througha linear path within the second cooking chamber 16, to the outletopening 24 of the second cooking chamber 16. Suitably, the secondcontinuous conveyor 54 may transport food product through a downwardlyextending path within the second cooking chamber 16. Suitably, the slopeof the second continuous conveyor 54 is selected to prevent foodproducts from sliding down or slipping off of the conveyor. In oneembodiment, the second continuous conveyor 54 may slope downward at anangle 58 of up to about 30 degrees as measured from a floor 56 of thesecond cooking chamber 16, or about 5 to about 20 degrees or about 12degrees. Orienting the second conveyor in this manner reduces the amountof space the continuous cooking oven system 10 occupies within aproduction facility.

In one embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 2, the first continuous conveyor28 and the second continuous conveyor 54 may be in the form of a singlecontinuous pervious conveyor belt 30. Suitably, the conveyor belt 30enters the first cooking chamber 14 through inlet opening 18, travelsthrough an upwardly extending helical path from a low pressure region 38to a high pressure region 36 within the first cooking chamber 14, exitsthe first cooking chamber 14 through outlet opening 20, enters thesecond cooking chamber 16 through inlet opening 22, travels through adownwardly extending path within the second cooking chamber 16 to theoutlet opening 24 of the second cooking chamber 16. Suitably, foodproducts carried on the conveyor belt 30 are transferred to anotherconveyor or collection apparatus at the outlet opening 24 of the secondcooking chamber 16. The conveyor belt 30 then travels through anupwardly extending path within the second cooking chamber 16, exits thesecond cooking chamber 16 through inlet opening 22, enters the firstcooking chamber 14 through outlet opening 20, travels through adownwardly extending linear path from the high pressure region 36 to thelow pressure region 38 within the first cooking chamber 14, and exitsthe first cooking chamber through the inlet opening 18.

A desired cooking environment is created within the second cookingchamber 16 by providing at least one source of heat such as steam, superheated steam and/or heated air. Suitably, the desired cookingenvironment is created within the second cooking chamber 16 by providinga source of heated gaseous cooking medium such as heated air which iscirculated about the food products within the second cooking chamber 16.Advantageously, the heated gaseous cooking medium is circulated at ahigh velocity and an elevated temperature such that the heated gaseouscooking medium impinges upon the surfaces of the food product therebycausing the products to brown evenly on both an upper surface and alower surface.

Suitably, the heated gaseous cooking medium is circulated within thesecond cooking chamber 16 at a velocity of about 400 fpm (about 120m/min) to about 5000 fpm (about 1525 m/min).

Suitably, the heated gaseous cooking medium is circulated within thesecond cooking chamber 16 at a temperature of about 200° F. (about 95°C.) to about 750° F. (about 400° C.).

Referring to FIG. 4, the heated gaseous cooking medium is circulatedwithin the second cooking chamber 16 by at least one impingement airflow distribution chamber 60 disposed above the second continuousconveyor 54 to circulate the heated gaseous cooking medium in an upperportion 66 of the second cooking chamber 16 and at least one impingementair flow distribution chamber 62 disposed below the second continuousconveyor 54 to circulate the heated gaseous cooking medium in a lowerportion 68 of the second cooking chamber 16. In one embodiment, as shownin FIG. 1, at least one impingement air flow distribution chamber 60 isdisposed above the second continuous conveyor 54 adjacent the outletopening 24 within the second oven chamber 16 and at least oneimpingement air flow distribution chamber 62 is disposed below thesecond continuous conveyor 54 adjacent the inlet opening 22 within thesecond cooking chamber 16. The impingement air flow distributionchambers may include a combination of forced draft air flow and inducedair flow to generate desired and uniform conditions throughout thesecond cooking chamber 16.

Each impingement air flow distribution chamber 60, 62 includes at leastone recirculation fan (not shown). Suitably, each recirculation fan isindependently controlled such that the fan speed may be varied toachieve desired attributes. For example, a recirculation fan of theimpingement air flow distribution chamber 62 may be operated at a higherspeed than a recirculation fan of impingement air flow distributionchamber 60 to ensure that a bottom surface of the food products brownsat a level comparable to an upper surface of the food products which mayhave been partially browned in the first cooking chamber 14.

Suitably, the gaseous cooking medium within the second cooking chamber16 may be heated using a direct gas heating system, an indirect gasheating system, steam, super heated steam, an indirect thermal oilheating system and/or an electric heating system. In one embodiment, thecontinuous cooking oven 10 may include a thermal fluid heat exchanger(not shown) in fluid communication with the second cooking chamber 16.The thermal fluid heat exchanger suitably directs heated gaseous cookingmedium from the impingement air flow distribution chambers 60, 62through the second cooking chamber 16 and across the second continuousconveyor 54. The thermal fluid heat exchange may be a super heated steamexchange, a direct gas fired heat exchanger or an indirect gas firedheat exchange. In one embodiment, the thermal fluid heat exchanger maybe a flat plate heat exchanger, fin and tube heat exchanger or similarheat exchanger that includes an internally circulating flow of thermalfluid. The thermal fluid may suitably include synthetic thermal fluidoil such as a silicon based thermal fluid oil. Suitably, the heatexchange operates at a temperature of about 400° F. (about 205° C.) toabout 750° F. (about 400° C.). Thermal fluid heating permits a higherhumidity oven atmosphere than conventional gas-fired heating systemsbecause of the absence of moisture diluting entering combustion air.

The continuous cooking oven system 10 may further include a steam supplyin communication with second cooking chamber 16. Referring to FIG. 4,steam may be supplied under pressure to the interior of the secondcooking chamber 16 via a steam supply 64.

Suitably, the first cooking chamber 14 and the second cooking chamber 16may be operated under similar conditions. For example, the first andsecond cooking chamber 14, 16 may be operated with comparable air flow,air temperature and humidity levels. Alternatively, the first cookingchamber 14 and the second cooking chamber may be operated underdifferent conditions.

Additionally, an in-place cleaning system may be disposed within thesecond cooking chamber 16 to remove grease and soil generated during thecooking process.

Food products which may be suitably cooked within the continuous cookingoven system 10 include, but are not limited to, beef, pork, fish,poultry, bakery products and/or other food products including foodproducts having various coatings applied to at least a portion of anouter surface. Advantageously, temperature, humidity, air and/or heatedgaseous cooking medium velocity and flow, and conveyor speed as well asother cooking parameters may be selectably controlled based on the typeof food product to be cooked in order to achieve desired product qualityand consistency. Suitably, the cooking parameters in each cookingchamber 14, 16 may be independently, selectably controlled.

In a further embodiment, not shown, a continuous cooking oven system mayinclude a first cooking chamber disposed between and in serialcommunication with second and third cooking chambers. Each cookingchamber contains a heated gaseous cooking medium. A second conveyortransports food products through a linear path within the second cookingchamber to an inlet of the first cooking chamber. A first continuousconveyor continuous conveyor transport food products to be cookedthrough a helical path within the first cooking chamber to an inlet ofthe third cooking chamber. A third continuous conveyor transports foodproducts from an outlet of the first cooking chamber through a linearpath, suitably a downwardly extending linear path, within the thirdcooking chamber. Suitably, the second and third cooking chambers mayuse, at least in part, an air impingement system as described above tocook and/or brown food products on upper and lower surfaces, while thefirst cooking chamber may use, in part, a steam impingement system asdescribed above to cook food products within the first cooking chamber.Suitably, the second and third cooking chambers include at least oneimpingement air distribution chamber disposed within each cookingchamber to circulate a heated gaseous cooking medium within eachchamber.

While in the foregoing specification this invention has been describedin relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many detailshave been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additionalembodiments and that certain of the details described herein can bevaried considerably without departing from the basic principles of theinvention.

1. A continuous cooking oven system, comprising: an enclosure includinga first cooking chamber in communication with a second cooking chamber;a first continuous conveyor for transporting food products through ahelical path within the first cooking chamber, the first continuousconveyor including a self-supporting pervious belt including a pluralityof superimposed tiers forming a pervious annulus; a fan for circulatinga heated gaseous cooking medium within the first cooking chamber; asecond continuous conveyor for transporting food products through alinear path within the second cooking chamber; at least one impingementair flow distribution chamber disposed above the second continuousconveyor to circulate a heated gaseous cooking medium within the secondcooking chamber; and at least one impingement air flow distributionchamber disposed below the second continuous conveyor to circulate theheated gaseous cooking medium within the second cooking chamber.
 2. Thecontinuous cooking oven system of claim 1, wherein the second cookingchamber is in communication with an inlet opening of the first cookingchamber.
 3. The continuous cooking oven system of claim 1, wherein thesecond cooking chamber is in communication with an outlet opening of thefirst cooking chamber.
 4. The continuous cooking oven system of claim 1,wherein the second conveyor one of receives products from an outletopening of the first cooking chamber or supplies products to an inletopening of the first cooking chamber.
 5. The continuous cooking ovensystem of claim 1, wherein the second conveyor transports products froman outlet opening of the first cooking chamber, through an inlet openingof the second cooking chamber.
 6. The continuous cooking oven system ofclaim 1, wherein the first continuous conveyor transports the productsin an upwardly extending helical path within the first cooking chamber.7. The continuous cooking oven system of claim 6, wherein the secondcontinuous conveyor transports the products in a downwardly extendinglinear path within the second cooking chamber.
 8. The continuous cookingoven system of claim 1, wherein the first cooking chamber and the secondcooking operate at comparable temperature and humidity levels.
 9. Thecontinuous cooking oven system of claim 1, wherein the first cookingchamber and the second cooking chamber operate at different temperatureand humidity levels.
 10. A continuous cooking oven system, comprising:an enclosure including a first cooking chamber having an outlet openingin communication with an inlet opening of a second cooking chamber; afirst continuous conveyor for transporting food products through anupwardly extending helical path within the first cooking chamber, thefirst continuous conveyor including a self-supporting pervious beltincluding a plurality of superimposed tiers which form the helical pathwithin the first cooking chamber, the superimposed tiers forming apervious annulus; a fan for circulating a heated gaseous processingmedium within the first cooking chamber; a second continuous conveyorfor transporting food products through a downwardly extending linearpath within the second cooking chamber; at least one impingement airflow distribution chamber disposed above the second continuous conveyorto circulate a heated gaseous cooking medium in an upper portion of thesecond cooking chamber; and at least one impingement air flowdistribution chamber disposed below the second continuous conveyor tocirculate the heated gaseous cooking medium in a lower portion of thesecond cooking chamber.
 11. The continuous cooking oven system of claim10, wherein the second continuous conveyor slopes downward at an angleof up to about 30 degrees as measured from a bottom wall of the secondcooking chamber.
 12. The continuous cooking oven system of claim 10,wherein the first and second continuous conveyors comprise a single,continuous conveyor belt.
 13. The continuous cooking oven system ofclaim 10, wherein at least one impingement air flow distribution chamberis disposed above the second continuous conveyor adjacent an outletopening of the second cooking chamber.
 14. The continuous cooking ovensystem of claim 10, wherein at least one impingement air flowdistribution chamber is disposed below the second continuous conveyoradjacent an inlet opening of the second cooking chamber.
 15. Thecontinuous cooking oven system of claim 10, wherein each impingement airflow distribution chamber comprises at least one independentlycontrolled recirculation fan.
 16. A continuous cooking oven system,comprising: an enclosure including a first cooking chamber having anoutlet opening in communication with an inlet opening a second cookingchamber, each cooking chamber containing a heated gaseous cookingmedium; a first continuous conveyor for transporting food productsthrough an upwardly extending helical path within the first cookingchamber, the first continuous conveyor including a self-supportingpervious belt including a plurality of superimposed tiers forming apervious annulus through which the heat gaseous cooking medium iscirculated; a fan means for circulating the heated gaseous processingmedium through the first continuous conveyor and the pervious annulusand around the food products in a continuous manner; a second continuousconveyor for transporting food products through a downwardly extendinglinear path within the second cooking chamber; at least one impingementair flow distribution chamber disposed above the second continuousconveyor to circulate the heated gaseous cooking medium in an upperportion of the second cooking chamber; at least one impingement air flowdistribution chamber disposed below the second continuous conveyor tocirculate the heated gaseous cooking medium in a lower portion of thesecond cooking chamber; and a thermal fluid heat exchanger positioned influid communication with the second cooking chamber, wherein the firstand second continuous conveyors comprise a single, continuous perviousconveyor belt.
 17. The continuous cooking oven system of claim 16,wherein the thermal fluid heat exchanger comprising a super heated steamheat exchanger, a direct gas firec heat exchanger or an indirect gasfired heat exchanger operated at a temperature of about 400° F. to about750° F.
 18. The continuous cooking oven system of claim 16, furthercomprising: a third cooking chamber having an outlet opening incommunication with an inlet opening of the first cooking chamber; athird continuous conveyor for conveying food products through a linearpath within the third cooking chamber; and at least one impingement airflow distribution chamber disposed within the third cooking chamber tocirculate a heated gaseous cooking medium within the third cookingchamber.
 19. The continuous cooking oven system of claim 16, furthercomprising an in-place cleaning system disposed within the first cookingchamber.
 20. The continuous cooking oven system of claim 16, furthercomprising an in-place cleaning system disposed within the secondcooking chamber.